If he let her go, she’d run. He knew with absolute certainty that that wasn’t a possibility for him. In a short period of time, she’d managed to get under his skin and take up a permanent living there. If he let her go now...he might never be able to deal.

She was so unlike his previous frimar. When Charlotte betrayed him, he hadn’t known what to do. A dark part of him had wanted to kill her but had been unable to go through with the deed. So he’d sent her to Tyrian to be disposed of. He hadn’t wanted to know where she’d gone, but he couldn’t deny his curiosity. It was only three weeks before he’d gone to Tyrian to ask about her. He’d said he sent her to a remote vampire clan in the far east of Europe to live. He’d warned them of her knack for attempted murder.

Draven hadn’t felt better about it. A sick, twisted part of him had still missed her. After all, just because the crazy woman had tried to end his life didn’t stop him from caring about her.

Because you are a fool!

But now he understood that Lucinda wasn’t anything like Charlotte. Charlotte had been full of coy smiles, lies, and incredible anger. He could still remember the sound of her voice screaming at him.

For the life of him he couldn’t fathom why she was upset. He’d taken her in as his frimar and even she admitted he’d been very good to her, allowing her spoken privileges that not all hosts gave.

Yet she ran from me.

Still that knowledge put a dark anger inside him. She could have been hurt, lost, abused. She didn’t know how to fight. He didn’t even think she had any money. Where had she planned on going? A fresh wave of anger tightened inside him. It hadn’t even mattered. So long as she was away from him she’d be happy.

After she gave me her body!

How could she make him feel so...different then leave him. It felt like another betrayal.

Finally he came to her and took the chair next to her. “Treat you like what?”

She looked at him with soft eyes, eyes filled with confusion and anger. A blush crept over her cheeks and her lips moved but no sound came out. Draven had a feeling he didn’t want to hear her answer but he asked anyways.

“Treat you like what, Lucinda?”

She swallowed hard then said so softly he barely heard it, “A whore.”

He sat there stunned, mouth open. She saw his expression and looked even more embarrassed before she looked away to stare at the floor.

Draven’s mind raced a mile a minute. A whore? She thought herself a whore? His gut churned painfully, his chest pulling uncomfortably tight. Stark cold came over him. He’d made her feel like that. He never should have taken her body. Should have been stronger or taken her advice and gotten rid of her. But how could he? She made him feel good. He could have laughed. She actually made him feel younger and not like the jaded ass he was.

He thought over the last few days he’d kept her here and hated himself even more. He’d done nothing but work himself between her thighs. Shame had him turning away from her. God, he was an animal. He kidnapped her, brought her to a place she didn’t want to be then took her body.

“Fuck,” he muttered and stalked across the room.

That strange tightness in his chest constricted even more until he wasn’t sure if he was breathing anymore. Quit being a selfish asshole, he thought.

“You’re right, of course. I accept your relinquishing. If you ever need anything, please let me know.”

He heard her gasp but couldn’t bear to turn to her. What would he see on her face if he did? Surprise, happiness? He didn’t think he could handle seeing her happy to be rid of him.

“I can leave you here or take you to wherever you want to go before I leave.”

So preoccupied was he in his busy thoughts, he never heard her step up behind him. The soft hand curling around his arm had him stiffening. Slowly, he turned to look at her. Whoosh. The air in his lungs left him in a rush. She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her. Flawless skin and innocent eyes all looking right at him. He felt humbled and sickened all at the same time. Whore. The word echoed inside his mind as a nasty reminder. God how could she think that? She was the loveliest of creatures.

“You mean that,” she asked softly.

He gave a tight smile and nodded. “Do you,” he paused to clear the dryness in his throat. “Do you know where you want to go?”

Her mouth turned up into a tumultuous smile. “It’s not a matter of where I want to go, Draven, so much as who I want to be with.”

His first instinct was violent anger. “Who?”

Her eyes widened at his tone and she took an instinctual step back. “Why with you of course.” Now she looked at him as if he was daft.

Never a man of great patience, Draven felt his slipping quickly away.

“What are you talking about? You said you want to be rid of me.”

“No,” she said sternly. “I said I don’t wish to be your whore or your frimar.” She blushed before going on. “I want more. And I want it with you.”

Frowning, Draven pulled his arm away from her touch. “Never use that word with me again, Lucinda. You were never nor could you ever be a whore. Then what the hell is it you want from me?”

If she was shocked at his language, she didn’t show it. She actually smiled at him, smiled!

“I want you to be with me for me. Because you care for me as I do you.” She held that hopeful, happy smile for a full minute before it started to dim at his silence.

“Be with me,” he said slowly as if he didn’t understand the words. “How?” he said, genuinely puzzled.

She flushed darker and stood straighter. “Well, I don’t know. Like Chloe and Commander Tyrian. They are...together.”

Draven finally understood, and his brain felt like it fell through the floor. She wanted to be with him as in...a marriage. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. Then he was breathing too fast too hard. The room spun around him in circles.

And then he fell to the floor.

Draven awoke with a pounding headache and a beautiful woman sitting on top of him.

“Lucinda?” His voice was hoarse and his head felt like he’d had a run in with a rock.

She smiled down at him, eyes glittering in the firelight. He struggled to remember how he came to be here and why he was on the floor but it was hard to think because she leaned down and kissed him square on the mouth.

“Welcome back,” she said softly.

“Thank you,” he said hesitantly.

She laughed, the sound surprisingly husky and loud. He loved that laugh. He was grinning back at her before he knew it.

“I take that as a yes.” Her lips trailed across his cheek. The nibbling at his ear was entirely too distracting. His arms were wrapped around her in the next second.

“What’s that?”

“That you do want to stay with me.”

Then it all came back to him. She wanted to be with him as in marriage, mating, forever together. Draven’s heart hammered in his chest and he forced himself to relax.

Her lips trailed down his neck, her hands moved under his shirt and up his chest. She owned him. With each touch, he felt himself giving in. It was a wonderful, soft feeling, how he imagined melting felt like.

She pulled his shirt up and scattered sexy little kisses across his chest. Slowly he felt himself succumb to her. To her touch, her kisses, her soft words.

“Please, Draven.” She kissed the flats of his nipples then lower. “I can’t have my life without you in it now.” She fanned her hands along his sides and he closed his eyes on a groan as she neared his erection.

“Please, please, please.”

His mouth floundered open and closed, eyes slammed shut as she tugged his pants down to his thighs. Her hot, wet mouth enclosed over him and he groaned, hands burying in her long, loose hair.

“Lucinda,” he gasped.

She licked and sucked, taking him to the back of her throat again and again. His body tightened to an excruciating point. It was too good; he wouldn’t last like this. Her mouth was untrained for this but her simple touches were driving him mad.